The Golden Apple Tree
by Scandiadream
Summary: Fairy tale crossover...this time starring a DIFFERENT MKR couple!!!


The Golden Apple Tree   


by Scandiadream scandiadream@hotmail.com 

Disclaimer: MKR characters belong to CLAMP. This fairy tale was written by the Brothers Grimm.   
Notice that this time the protagonists are not your usual cast. 

Once upon a time, there was a woman who had three daughters. The eldest, Tatra, had only one functional eye. The middle, Caldina, had two working eyes like normal people. And the youngest, Tarta, had two eyes like her middle sister, but an extra one in the middle of her forehead! Now because Caldina looked and saw just like other people, her mother and sisters resented her and told her that she was not wanted. 

Caldina often took care of the goats, and was often hungry even though the family was by no means poor. One afternoon, Caldina was so starved that she began to cry. When she looked up, a beautiful young woman was standing there.   
"I have heard your tears and grumbling stomach. All you have to do is ask your own goat: 

Little goat, if you're able   
Pray deck out my table. 

And when you are done: 

Little goat, when you're able   
Remove my nice table." 

Caldina was skeptical, but she still recited the words, and a beautiful table with a four course lunch, complete with silverware and china, appeared in front of her. Caldina said grace quickly and scarfed down her food. She later asked her goat to take away the table, and everything was gone without a trace. 

That night, Tatra gave Caldina a very small dinner.   
"I am not hungry" Caldina told her. Her sisters at first thought she was being arrogant, but could tell that she was telling the truth.   
"How can she not be hungry after eating just one roll of bread and an apple for lunch?" Tarta wondered. 

The next day, Caldina was not hungry either. But when for a third time that week Caldina did not have any appetite, her mother and sisters got suspicious.   
"Caldina, I will go to the field with you" Tatra commanded her the next day.   
Caldina was quite clever, so before she got her food, she sang Tatra to sleep. Then she took her little goat far enough so that she would not be heard, and had her lunch.   
"No news" Tatra told her mother and Tarta.   
And the coming day, Tarta went. Caldina also sang her to sleep...but she did not realize that Tarta's third eye stayed awake and could see. Caldina snuck far away, but Tarta followed her and saw everything and told their mother.   
"So you thought you could get better food than us? You will pay for this!" And with one blow, she slay Caldina's little goat. Caldina was devastated, but she buried her goat next to her bedroom. 

The next morning, the sisters exited their house and saw a majestic tree growing in the exact same spot where Caldina had buried her goat. It had leaves of silver, and apples made of gold.   
The sisters could not help but liking riches too much, so they decided to pluck some apples. Tatra went first, but she noticed that the apples seemed to fly away from her hands. Then came Tarta, but the apples also dodged her. Caldina gave it a try also just in case; however, the apples landed right on her hands as if they floated there on purpose!   
"We're going to be rich!" And that week, Tarta and Tatra were not as mean to Caldina. 

That Saturday, a young knight named Lafarge was riding by the house. He could not help but notice the golden apple tree. and knocked on the door.   
"To whom does this tree belong?" he asked when Tatra and Tarta answered.   
"It belongs to us."   
"If a person possessed just one branch, he or she could obtain any wish in the world!" Lafarge was very impressed.   
Tatra tried to break off a branch for Lafarge, hoping to catch his eyes. But she failed. Tarta tried next, but also failed. The tree branches clearly looked like they were dodging the sisters on purpose.   
"How bizarre! The tree belongs to you, yet you cannot pluck out one of its branches" Lafarge said, scratching his head. 

Tarta and Tatra insisted the tree was theirs. But Caldina was very angry that her sisters were lying, especially since she had been gazing at Lafarge from the moment he had ridden into their yard.   
Caldina made two apples roll from the door to Lafarge's horse.   
"Oh, someone else lives here too. Please do come out." Lafarge asked.   
"Hello, how can I help you?" Caldina exited the door. Lafarge was amazed at how beautiful she was with her two bright eyes.   
"Can you please break off a branch of this tree for me?" the knight asked.   
"Oh yes. It will be easy, because this tree belongs to me." And Caldina climbed up the tree, broke off a branch with silver leaves and golden apples, and gave it to Lafarge.   
"What can I do for you in exchange for this?" Lafarge said. He wanted to hold Caldina's hand, but his knight's honor prevented him from potentially embarrassing a lady.   
"Please, take me away from here. I suffer too much hunger and humiliation. I want a chance at a normal life." Caldina asked.   
"I will take you to my father's castle, where you can have all you wish and more." 

Caldina went to live at the castle. She and Lafarge had grown so fond of each other, that a year later they got married and lived happily ever after.   



End file.
